Fabrication of rectifier cells



June 29, 1948.

c. w. HEWLETT- FABRICATION OF RECTIFIERCELLS Filed Nov. l0, 1944 `F`g.l. o o oo o o Q4 lm/enbof His Attovneg.

t w.. e HJM MJ c6. .n L .W C 1w lI-II Patented June 29, 1948 FABRICATION OF RECTIFIER CELLS Clarence W. Hewlett, Marblehead, Mass., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application November 10, 1944, Serial No. 562,860

` 4 claims. (Cl. ris-366) v 1 The present invention relates to metallic rectiiiers, which are known also as dry. plate rectiers.

It is an object of my invention to provide rectiilers of improved characteristics and also to provide an improved fabrication method.

My invention will be described in connection with the manufacture of selenium rectiers, but it should be understood that it is also applicable to the manufacture of other forms of dry plate rectiers, in which, in place of selenium, other rectifying agents may be used, as for example tellurium or copper sulphide.

Selenium rectiflers, as well known, include a conductive base on which is deposited a stratum of selenium. A so-called blocking layer possessing rectifying characteristics is produced on the selenium by appropriate chemical treatment, for example, by treatment with hydrogen peroxide. Electrical connection to the blocking layer is made by a counter-electrode of metal which commonly is spray-deposited on the selenium film.

'I'he details of fabrication of an improved form of such rectifying units or cells is described in Hewlett U. S. Patent 2,334,554 of November 16, 1943.

It has been suggested to expedite the fabrica.- tion of such cells by depositing selenium on a parent plate of 'suilicient size to provide by subdivision` a large number of cells. While some advantage in mass manufacture is realized by this expedient alone, practical dilculties have been encountered. The completed cells still required individual forming treatment before they were ready for service.

In accordance with the present invention, irnproved multiple fabrication of dry plate rectiers by subdivision of a selenium-coated parent plate is carried out by a method involving the attachment to the parent plate of a. sheet of` insulating material containing a plurality of openings. This insulating sheet or mask, which is mounted upon the selenium layer before a blocking layer has been produced thereon, has the following functions:

It delimits the effective area of the active selenium surface whereby the current characteristic of a rectifier cell is determined for a chosen application.

It electrically insulates vindividual units from one another and thereby makes possible the complete fabrication and treatment of the units be- `fore being separated, including the electrical forming step. v

The portionv of insulating layer which remains in the completed unit eliminates possibility of 2 electrical short circuits by metallic burrs which may be raised at the edges of the elements in punching or cutting of each completed unit from the parent plate. The insulating layer when of suilicient thickness so spaces'the conductive base (which is one electrode), from the opposite electrode that the' presence of unavoidable small burrs does not result in the electrical short-circuits which' otherwise might occur.

As a further vconsequence of my invention, improved rectifying cells may be produced at less cost than heretofore possible by conventional mechanism; Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate partly in section a punching mechanism for severing the rectiiier units from the parent plate; Fig. 9 is an enlarged vertical section of a rectiiier cell, and Fig. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of a rectier cell.

In the batch fabrication of a group of rectilier cells a plate of suitable metal, preferably aluminum, is prepared by conventional and well understood .methods whereby the surface rst is cleaned, then roughened and next provided by condensation of vapor with a thin coating of a contact-improving metal, such as bismuth, tin

v or antimony, preparatory to depositing selenium or other semi-conductor metal. These initial steps form no part of my present invention. They are described in my above-mentioned prior Patent 2,334,554.

As further described in this patent selenium is deposited in twostages by evaporation and is heat treated. The presence of the selenium on the plate i is indicated on an exposed part in Fig. 1 and is shown in Figs. 2 and 3 as a layer 2 (the very thin coating of bismuth, or the like, not being shown).

On the selenium-coatedsurface is cementeda sheet 3 of insulating material which may conf sist of kraft cardboard about 5 mils in thick- This sheet is coated on one side with a in thickness. The sheet 3, which constitutes a mask, is providedwith a plurality of openings, or perforations, 4, -the size of which determines the effective rectifying surfacev of the rectifiery cells tobe fabricated. The number of openings on a single sheet may be verylarge. The perforated paper mask 3 is subjected at an elevated temperature Yto pressing in contact with the plate I so as to become rmly attached to the plate I.

The areas of selenium exposed by the perforations 4 in the mask 3 next are subjected to chemical treatment to develop blocking layers thereon. For example, the exposed selenium surfaces may be subjected to a hydrogen peroxide spray as described in my prior Patent 2,349,622 of May 23, 1944. The application of the blocking layer at this point is preferred to the treatment of the entire plate before the paper mask is applied as thereby the effectiveness of the blocking layer is preserved.

Counter electrode metal may be applied by spray deposition as the next step as indicated in Fig. 2. A shield 5 which may consist of chromium coated steel, or other suitable metal, is placed upon the paper .mask 3. Openings in the shield 5 expose not only the perforations 4 but also a surrounding marginal area of thepaper mask 3. By a suitable metal spray device, the nozzle 6 of which is indicated in the drawing, a layer 'l of soft solder-like metal, as, for example. an alloy of bismuth-cadmiurn-tin, is deposited immediately on the exposed surfaces. As best shown in Fig. 9, the counterclectrode 3 should not only cover the exposed surface of the selenium but should extend up the sides of the perforation and over a marginal strip of the paper. .A Width of als or more vis satisfactory but in some cases the counterelectrode may extend to the edge of the layer, as shown inl Fig. 2.

The shield 5 is removed upon completion of the spray step. The plate I is placed upon, a multiple electrode xture 8, which is shown in Fig. 3, for simultaneously electrically forming" the selenium cells which have a common base constituted by the plate l, the counterelectrodes being electrically insulated from one another. The base plate 9 of the xture 8 consists of a l suitable non-conducting material in which a, plurality of electrodes are movably operable in slots as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The plate I is pro-y vided with holes which when registering with pins Il, I2 of the fixture 8 properly align the counterclectrodes of the rectifier cells with respect to the corresponding electrodes Iii-ID.

' When properly aligned the counterelectrodes make electrical contact, as shown in Fig. 5, with the electrodes I0. Fig. 5y shows the electrodes ID to be mounted by a base I3 on springs i4 to which a conductor i5 is electrically connected. A water-cooled cover plate I6 is supported on the hinges I1, I8 to be movable to a horizontal position in which, as shown in Fig. 4, the plate I 6 presses the plate I, thereby urging the multiple cells against the springs I4 of the electrodesI ID.

Any suitable forming method may be used` circuit with each cell, the rectied current of all the cells in a plate which may be assumed to comprise 188 cells may be about 1.5 to 1.8 amperes initially and may be about 1.8 to 2.1 amperes inally.

The formed cells are punched from the parent plate by a die such as shown, 'for example, in Figs. 7 and 8. As there shown, the upper punching member 2l having a recessed face, to receive the slightly raised counterelectrode, reciprocates against a lower backing member 22 which is urged upwardly by a spring 23. -By the coaction of these two parts the cells lare punched from the parent plate. Preferably the cut cells are not entirely disengaged from the parent plate I.

When the cells are cut from the parent plate both the elements 2l and 22 move upward until the cells are reset in the parent plate as shown in Fig. 8. The compound die consisting of the punching members 2|, 22 supports on both sides *the paper, or other insulating material, has been applied to the foundation plate. The punched out elements are set back into the parent plate asdescribed above and subsequently a blocking layer is applied to the selenium.A The counterelectrode is sprayed upon thetreated surfaces. Thereupon the electro-forming step is carried out. Lastly the rectifier cells are disengaged from theparent plate. Similarly the rectifier cells may be punchedfrom the parent plate after the counterelectrodes have been applied and set back into the parent plate, whereupon the electrical forming step may be carried out as above described. y

In any event, regardless of the order in which ythe various fabrication steps are carried out uniting with said plate a'layer of insulation con- As shown in Fig. 6 one terminal ofthe secondary` Winding of a transformer I9 is connected to the pressure plate I6. The multiple contacts I0 are connected in series with individual resistance 2G 4 to the opposite terminal of the transformer winding. In this Way suitable forming currents are simultaneously applied to each cell. Forming advantageously is continued for a period of about 30 minutes. With an applied voltage, of say;

taining openings of predetermined size, producingr a blocking layer upon the areas of selenium exposed by said openings, spray-depositing counterelectrodes to said areas while shielding adjacent portions 0f said insulation, forming the cells thus constituted by individual and simultaneous application of current and severing the completed cells from saidl parent plate.

2. The method of fabricating simultaneously a plurality of dry plate rectifier units which consists in 'cementing an insulating sheet, upon the surface of a metal parent sheet `which is coated with selenium which is susceptible of having rectifying properties imparted thereto, said insulating sheet beingy substantially coextensive with said coating and having a plurality of. apertures through which said selenium*v is exposed, ,producing a current-blocking condition by oxidation of the areas of the Vselenium thus exposed. applying counterelectrodes upon said exposed areas, whereby a plurality of rectifying cells are produced the bases of which are an integral part of said parent sheet, individually electrically forming the resulting selenium cells in separate forming circuits while said cells are still united with said parent sheet, and finally subdividing said parent sheet into a plurality of rectifier units. y

3. The method of simultaneously fabricating a plurality of individual selenium rectifier cells which consists in applying on a parent plate of l extensive area which is provided with a selenium coating a mask of non-conducting material having a plurality of openings which expose said selenium coating, treating with hydrogen peroxide said exposed areas of selenium to produce a rectifying condition thereon, applying counterelectrodes at said openings. individually and simultaneously forming the rectifier cells thus produced by passage of current therethrough while constituting an integral part of such assembly and iinally severing the completed cells from the parent plate.

4. The method of fabricating rectifier cells 'which consists in applying a coating of selenium to a base plate, mounting upon said plate a substantially coextensive sheet of insulating materia] which is provided with a plurality of restricted openings having areas equal to the effective rectifying areas desired in completed cells,

metal coatings and iinally severing from said plate *and attached insulating sheet, resulting rectifier cells comprising both said metal-coated areas and surrounding marginal portions of insulation-covered parent plate which is uncoated with metal.

CLARENCE W. HEWLE'I'I.

REFERENCES CITED V The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,156,054 Geisler et al. Apr. 25, 1939 2,235,051 'I'hompson Mar. 18, 1941 2,244,664 Addink June 10, 1941 2,314,104 Richards Mar. 16, 1943 2,359,377 Miller Oct. 3, 1944 2,369,185 Skinker Feb. 13, 1945 2,392,744

Kallmeyer Jan. 8, 1946 

